Aluminum-melting furnace



May 29, 1928.

P. H. RoMPH ALUMINUM MELTING FURNACE Filed March 23, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet lll May 29, 1928.

VP.H;ROMPHv ALUMINUM MELTING V'URNACE' Filed March 25, 1926 A3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Irllll L Patented May a9, 192s.

UNITED STA-Tes PATENT orales.-

PAUL H. ROMPH, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ALUMINUM-MELTING IEUENACEt Application led Ear-ch 23, 1926. Serial No. 96,714.

so mounted as to permit the entire unit to beitilted to pouring position. Another object is to provide in a construction of the above type an arrangement for adjustably rotating the unit so asv to utilize different portions of the pot for holding the molten charge. Further objects will be apparent l5 after consideration of the detailed construction hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is auplan view of the furnace partly in section. Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section.

Figure 3 is an end elevation. Figure 4 illustrates a modified arrangement for.supporting the melting ot. 1 is the aluminum meltin pot o the furnace comprising a cylindrical central portion 2, the'comcal end port-ions '3 and the cylindrical curing spouts 4. The spouts are arrange .3 are of smaller diameter than the main cylindrical portion 2 and coaxial therewith. Surrounding the pot is the cylindrical shell 5 having the end portions 6 land 7 and the cylindrical peripheral surface 8. The end portions 6 and 7 are mounted respectively on the pouring spouts 4 which latter project slightly beyond the end walls. The interior of the shell 5 is provided with heat insulating material preferably in the form lo 0f fire 'brick suitably secured to the shell.

. In order to support the furnace in such aV mannery as to .permit tilting of the pot to a pouring position there. are `provided two standards 9 and 10 on opposite sides of the casingv and provided at their upper ends with bearings 11 and 12. 13 is a cradle comprising a pair cf semi-'tircular supporting members 14 and lconnected together by the cross members 16 and 17. Centrally 5o of each member is a laterally projecting trunnion, 18 and 19 respectively, engaging the respective bearings` 11 and 12. The trunnion 18 projects through the bearing 11 and is provided with a worm wheel 20 meshing with a wojrm wheel 21 on a shaft at opposite ends of the pot and.

22, this shaft carrying a bevel gear'23 meshing with another bevel gear 24 on a arallel shaft 25. 26 is a hand wheel secure to the shaft 25 and adapted to operate the gearing to tilt the casing 5 and its carrying cradle to pouring position.

The shell 5 is rotatable in the cradle 13 in order to adjust the same so that a dierl l ent portion of the meltingI pot 1 may be utilized for the molten charge. For this purpose the cradle is provided with a series of rollers 27 .journaled in the members 14 and adapted to engage cylindrical guide tracks 28 surrounding the shell 5. In order to rotate the shell on said rollers suitable gearing is provided and as shown a gear 29 is mounted on one of the pouring spouts on the portion projecting beyond the end wall 7 and this gear engages a mating gear 30 arranged on a longitudinal shaft 31. The shaft has a squared end 32 forengagement with a suitable hand crank, the latter being preferably removable` when not in use. In order to hold the shell V5 in adjusted positionthere are the locking pins 34 extending inwardly of the cradle members 14 and engagingl recesses 35 in the outer shell. The pins are referably provided with spring means 36 orlnormally urging the pins into said apertures and are also provided with the heads 37 by which the pins may be manuall withdrawn prior to adjustably rotating t e shell.

The furnace is preferably heated with liquid or gaseous fuel by providing a suitable burner in the annular combustion chamber 38 between the pot and-the outer shell, In order to introduce the oil and air for the burner,` there are the fuel and air pipes 39 and 40 which lead from one of the trunnions to the lower portion of the casing 5. The end Wall 7 of this casing is preferably provided with a series of apertures 41 spaced circumferentially thereof and preferably so arranged that when the casing is Iin oneof its positions of adjustment, one of the apertures is at the lowermost portion of the combustion chamber. rIhe oil and air pipes are led through this lowermost aperture into the combustion chamber where they are united in a suitable burner 42. The combustion gases then surround the fire pot on both sides and are led completely around the same so as to secure a good heating effect. 'Ihe peripheral wall 8 o the casing has a 11.0

- series of apertures 43 spaced there around,-

one of whichis open to permit escape of the burned products of combustion, the other aperturesfbeing normally closed. Each of the apertures 41 except the o ne through `which-the oil andl air pipes arev inserted are also closed-by suitable removable plates 44.

y It is preferable to have the oil `and air conduits, inserted in the combustion chamber through both end walls-6 and 7 so that two burners are Aprovided discharging --toward f leach other. `Therefore the end wall 6 is providedwith a seriesfof apertures Isimilar to the end wall 7 and oil and air conduits 3 9? vand 40". are arranged. toy discharge through the lowermost aperture which is iny align mentA with 'the lowermost aperture inthe wall 7. 1 f In order to permit'the tiltingv of. the fur' nace to pouring position, itis necessary that the oil, and air conduitsbe ermitted 'to l move with the casing 5 about t e trunnions v 18.and 19. f This lis'accomplished'by providing a suitable, yfitting 45 von the ortion of ingv 12. "This fitting also the trunnion 19 projecting be on tlrebearas connected thereto the 4'oil and air conduits 46 and 47 respectivelygleadin to vthe'point of supply. It is 'sometimes' 30.

` bevelv ear 52 meshingwith Ithe' bevel gear 24. T e motor48 lcan be a reversing electric motor in whchcasethe tilting of the fur- `nace in either direction ma 'bey accomplished merelyl 'byactuating a suita le electric switch l or -if desired'the gear box 50 may be proin the'same purpose.-

'ne of the advantages ofmy-'furnace construction as above described resides in the arrangement'whereby the melting pot 1 may lvided with reversing ratios for accomplishbe 'adjustablyfrotated tof present .d ierentI portions of `its surface to the action of the molten aluminum Thus the lifeof the pot is greatly extended, for only a small portion of the cylindrical ortion 2 is-l utilized during any one heat.` en adjusting the furnace .to

a different position the burners are removed r from the combustion chamber, the locking y pins 34 are withdrawn and the-casing 5 then ing, In the new rotatedmanually by means-of a crank fitting the squared shaft 32; As shown there are four positions of adjustment land thereforefour apertures 41in the end walls of the casition the apertures which were previous y opened are closed by cover plates and the apertures now at the lowermost portion of the furnace are o cned to permit 1nsertionof the burners. imi'- larly the exhaust portj43 at theI top of the furnace is opened Vwhile the one previously used is closed.-

tion in which the vmelting pot is not rotatably adjustable. In this case the shell 5 is directly mounted on the `trunnions 53 byv .retaining bolts 54, while the cradle and the*V associated mechanism are dispensed with. Such a construction has all the advantages of the first described furnace except that of rutilizing the entire periphery of the melting pot for the molten metal.

What I claim as my invention is: r 1. A furnace comprising a cylindrical Ametallic pot having coaxial pouring apertures at opposite ends thereof, said pot havingl smooth uninterruptedmetallic Iinner surfaces adapted to directly contain the molten metal, .an outer casin surrounding said pot formingV a heating c amber, trun- 'Figure 4 represents a modified construcl nions supporting said outer casing such that horizontal, and meansfor tilting said pot to discharge the contents thereof through one of said pouring apertures.

. the-axis of,said pot is normally-substantially 2. `A melting -furnace comprising a cylindricalpot having coaxial pouring apertures atopposite ends thereof,`an outer casing surrounding said pot forming a heating chamber, a cradlefor supportingsald outer casing, trunnions supporting sald cradle, and

means on said cradle permitting said casing to be-adjustably rotated whereby a different portion of said pot is utilized `for holding thecharge.

drical pot, an outer casing surrounding said potforming a combustion chamber,a cradle supporting said vcasing with the axis of said pot normally substantially horizontal and loo 3. A melting furnace comprising a cylin bearings on said cradle permitting the rotative adjustment of said casing and pot.' f

4. A melting furnace comprising a cylindrical pot, an outer casing surrounding said pot forming a combustion chamber, a cradle supporting said casing with the axis of said pot normally substantially horizontal, bear` ingsonsaid cradle permitting the-rotative -adjustment of saidv casing aboutthe laxis of said pot, a shaft in fixed relation to said cradle, and gearing between vsaid shaft and said casing for rotatably adjusting the latter.

5'. A melting furnace comprising,a cylin l drical pot having coaxial pouring apertures at opposite ends thereof, a cylindrical casingsurrounding sald pot 'forming a combustion` chamber, a cradle, rollers on said cradle engaging'. and supporting vsaid cylindrical casing, axially aligned trunnions extending lll..

laterally of said cradle,'aframe having bearings for said trunnions, means for tilting said casing about the axis of said trunnions and means for rotatably adj'gting said casing relative to said cradle.

, outer casing, means for'rotating said casing about the axis of said pot, a series of apertures spacedv around said outer casing, i'emovable closures for said apertures, and a burner extending through the lowermost aperture in said casing and arranged within said combustion chamber.

7. A melting furnace comprisin a cylin- I drical pot, having coaxial cylindrical pouring spout at opposite ends thereof, said spouts having discharge openings of smaller diameter than said pot, anv outer cylindrical casing having end walls supported on the respective spouts, said casing forming an annular heating chamber surrounding saidV pot,lmeans for supportinor said cylindrical casing to permit rotatableadjustment of the same about its axis, a series of inlet apertures in an end wallof said casing, a series 'of out-let apertures in the peripheral wallv of said casing, a burner extending into said combustion chamber through an end wall aperture below said pot, and removable closures on all of the apertures in said casing except the one through which said burner is inserted and an outlet aperture arranged above said pot whereby the combustion gases from said burner arevcoinpelled to travel around saidpot and exit through the upper portion of said casing.

8. A melting furnace comprising a metallic pot having a main cylindricalportion,

having conical portions at opposite ends thereof provided with disharge openings of smaller diameter, said pot having smooth uninterrupted metallic inner surfaces adapted to directly contain the molten metal, an an nular shell surrounding the main portion of said pot and provided on its interior with heat insulating material `forming a combus- .t-ion having smooth uninterrupted' metallic inside walls for directly receiving the charge and holding the molten metal, said walls be`r ing tapered inwardly at one end to form4 a discharge aperture of smaller cross section, an outer casing supporting said pot and surrounding the same forming a heating chaniber' therebetween, a frame pivotally supporting said casing with the axis ot said pot normally horizontal, meansfor tilting said casing and pot about said pivotal support to discharge the molten metal through said discharge aperture and means for intermittently rotatably adjusting said pot relative to said frame through a partial revolution whereby a dierentV portion of said pot is utilized for holding the moltcn metal in a subsequent heat.

10. yA furnace for melting aluminum coinprisingfa metallic pot having a body portion of circular cross section terminating at opposite end in heads of smaller diameter with concentric apertures therein, said pot'having smooth uninterrupted inner metallic surfaces adapted to directly receive the metallic charge, an outer casing supportingthe head portions of said pot and surrounding the body portion thereof forming a heating chamber therearound, a frame pivotally supporting said casing with the axis of said pot normally horizontal, means for tilting said casing and pot about said pivotal support and means for intermittently rotatably adjsting said pot relative to said frame through a partial revolution whereby a different portion of said pot' is untilized for holding the molten metal.

In testimony `whereof I aiiix my signature.

. PAUL H. ROMPH. 

